Guard finger and ledger plate



6 J. R. SUTHERLAND 3,

GUARD FINGER AND LEDGER PLATE Filed June 16, 1964 mvEA/TOR. Hg 4 (/4445? 2 6&74534400 BY M/ 4 7 TOP/V59 5 United States Patent 3,296,783 GUARD FINGER AN!) LEDGER PLATE James R. Sutherland, Minneapolis, Minn, assiguor to Viking Corporation, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed June 16, 1964, Ser. No. 375,540 11 Claims. (Cl. 56-311) This invention relates to improvements in mowers and more particularly to an improved guard finger and ledger plate assembly. 7

While apparatus of this general type is well known and in use, the improved guard finger and ledger plate assembly of the present invention provides for a more effective operation of a mower through a ledger plate design which presents a more effective cutting surface for the mower to permit a higher speed of operation or forward movement and effective cutting of all types of vegetation. Further, the improved ledger plate and guard finger assembly provides for a positive positioning of the ledger plate and ease in replacement of the ledger plate with a minimum of skill for worn part replacement. The improved assembly is rugged in design and durable in operation and is secured against translational movement and relative movement of parts to provide more eflicient mower operation.

It is therefore the general object of this invention to provide an improved guard finger and ledger plate assembly.

Another object of this invention is to provide in an improved guard finger and ledger plate assembly, provision for a simple and effective means for removably attaching the ledger plate to the guard finger.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved guard finger and ledger plate assembly for a mower which permits a higher speed of cutting operation and a more efficient cutting operation for the mower.

A still further object of this invention is to provide in a guard finger and ledger plate assembly design, an arrangement of parts which are rugged, durable and economical.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached description together with the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the improved guard finger and ledger plate assembly,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the improved guard finger and ledger plate assembly of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the guard finger with parts in section,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a guard finger of FIGURE 1 taken through lines 3-3 thereof, and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the guard finger of FIGURE 1 taken along the lines 5-5 therein.

The improved guard finger and ledger plate assembly is shown in plan and side elevation views in the assembled position.

As will be seen therein, the guard finger which is generally indicated at is comprised of connected part 12 and a pedestal support 143 formed integral with one another. The connecting part extends generally transverse to the extent of the pedestal support, or normal thereto, although not shown, it will be understood that the guard finger is adapted to be mounted on a connecting support member of the mower in cooperative relationship with a cutting blade in a conventional manner. To this extent, the connecting part 12 of the guard finger has a channel like surface 16 with an aperture 18 therein which surface is adapted to be brought into engagement with and connected to the supporting part of the mower. A reference shoulder 19 on the surface aids in the positioning of the guard finger on such a supporting part and suitable conice necting means (not shown) mount the guard finger thereon. It will also be understood that a plurality of such guard finger are positioned in a side by side or adjacent relationship along the extent of the supporting member to make up the cooperating shear surfaces for the cutting blade in the operation of the mower. Thus the supporting part will extend parallel with the extent of the supporting surface 16 of the guard finger and the pedestal support portion will be directed outwardly therefrom and ahead of the supporting part with respect to the normal operation of the mower. The pedestal support has a support or reference surface 32 which is generally tri angular in form and, as will be seen in the side elevation view, the support is also tapered toward the forward end of the guard finger, as indicated at 23.

Mounted on the pedestal support is a ledger plate 30 which is also generally triangular in form. This ledger plate provide sthe cooperative shear surface for the cutting blade of the mower in a conventional manner. The improved ledger plate and guard finger assembly herein provides an efficient and effective cutting surface with the cutting blade for higher speed mower operation. The pedestal support reference surface 32 is flat and is designed to accurately locate and position the ledger plate 30 thereon. Positioned on this fiat surface of the pedestal support are a pair of pedestal type clamps 35, 36 respectively which clamps as will be later noted, accurately and securely position the ledger plate 30 thereon.

Thus, as is shown in FIGURES l and 2, the ledger plate 34) is positioned on the pedestal support portion of the guard finger over the reference surface 32 such that the edges of the ledger plate overhang and extend beyond the surface of the pedestal support.

The clamping and positioning of the ledger plate in this position on the pedestal support will best be seen through the details of the clamps 35, 36 as shown in the sectional views of FIGURES 4 and 5. The rearward clamp positioned at the back edge of the reference surface 32 of the pedestal support is generally wedge shaped or dove-tailed in form having inclined surfaces at 40 which tapered outwardly and upwardly to define the wedge shaped configuration. Further, the pedestal type clamp 35 is tapered in the forward direction, as at 42, for purposes to be later noted. Similarly, the forward or second pedestal clamp 36 as shown by the section of the FIGURE 5, has its tapered surfaces extending up wardly at an angle, such as is indicated at 44, with the upper surfaces of the pedestal support being tapered or inclined to follow the general outline of the pedestal support 14 such as is indicated at 45. Positioned intermediate the pedestal clamps 35, 36 on the surface 32 of the pedestal support is an aperture 46 which extends through the extent of the pedestal support.

The ledger plate 30 has similar openings therethrough such as is indicated at and 56. The opening 55 extends from the rearward edge 58 of the ledger plate opposite the blunt forward edge of 59 thereof. The generally triangular configuration of the ledger plate is defined by the two remaining sides 61 formed at an angle to the sides 59 and 58. The aperture or opening 55 includes a pair of inclined side surfaces which are at a slightly larger angle than that of the bevel surfaces 49 of the pedestal clamp 35 so that these parts may mate with a positive clamping downward action. The forward aperture or opening 56 is defined by a generally rectangular opening 65 which extends and fits the surface 44 of the pedestal clamp 36. The opening 56 is substantially larger than the dimensions of the pedestal clamp 36 and the rectangular portion 65 thereof is designed to fit the largest dimension of the pedestal clamp 36. Both J the apertures 55 and 56 have their beveled surfaces 60 and 64, similarly tapered to conform to the tapered shape of the pedestal clamps and 36, as indicated at 42 and 45 thereon in the forward direction.

The triangular shaped ledger plate is positioned on the pedestal support by locating the openings 55, 56 ahead of the pedestal clamps 35, 36. The ledger plate is then pressed back on the surface 32 of the pedestal support through a machine press or equivalent force such that the pedestal clamps 35, 36 mate with the openings 55, 56 and the inclined surfaces 60, 64 thereof. The dove tailed or wedge shaped configuration of the clamps cooperates with these surfaces on the ledger plate to draw the ledger plate firmly against the surfaces 32 of the pedestal support. Further, the taper in the forward direction of the pedestal clamps 35, 36 accurately locates the ledger plate 30 on the pedestal support such that it is aligned axially therewith. This type of clamping action prevents any translational movement of the ledger plate on the pedestal support and accurately positions the same with respect to the pedestal support or the surface 32 thereof to provide a reference surface for the cutting blade of the mower (not shown). As will be seen in FIGURE 1, in the assembled position, the pedestal clamp 35 substantially fills the aperture in the ledger plate and the pedestal clamp 36 is positioned in the forward end of the opening 56 to completely engage the beveled surfaces 64 thereon. The rectangular portion 65 is positioned over this aperture 46 in the pedestal support. In this assembled position, a compressible pin is press fitted through the aperture 46 in the pedestal support with the pin passing through the opening 65 and engaging the surface of the ledger plate to prevent forward movement of the ledger plate on the pedestal support. Thus in the assembled position, a portion of the pin projects into the opening 65 to insure the locationing and retention of the ledger plate on the pedestal support. As will be seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, the ledger plate has beveled surfaces 74 on the sides 61 thereof which surfaces include serrations 75 to provide cooperative cutting action with the cutting blade of the mower. The wedge or triangular shape of the ledger plate with the blunt forward edge which substantially aligns with the forward end of the pedestal support cooperates with the cutting blade of the mower to provide an efiicient cutting action for vegetation of all lengths and sizes. It further insures positive cutting which permits a more rapid movement of the mower to increase the cutting efiiciency and mower operating speed.

This simplified ledger plate and guard finger assembly permits ready interchange of the ledger plate in the field without special tools and with a minimum amount of effort. The pin 70 pressed into the aperture 46 will be removed through a conventional manner and the ledger plate to be replaced is driven forward on the pedestal clamps to release the same. A new ledger plate may be substituted therefor and pressure through suitable means will position the new ledger plate on the pedestal support. The clamping and positioning action of the pedestal clamps 35, 36 with the cooperating surfaces in the ledger plate provide for accurate positioning of the ledger plate on the pedestal support to prevent translational movement of the plate which would be injurious to the operation of the mower.

In considering this invention it should be remembered that the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative only and the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A guard finger and ledger plate assembly comprising, a guard finger having a connecting body part and a pedestal support integral therewith and extending transversely thereto with a fiat surface thereon adapted to mount a ledger plate, first and second pedestal clamping means positioned on the flat surface of the pedestal support and projecting therefrom, each of said pedestal clamping means being tapered to provide wedge shaped sides which provide downward clamping action on the ledger plate when mounted thereon, a triangular shaped ledger plate mounted on the flat surface of the pedestal support, said ledger plate having a pair of openings therein with tapered sides which conform to the wedge shaped sides of the pedestal clamping means, aperture means in the pedestal support positioned between the pedestal clamping means, and pin means positioned through the aperture means in said pedestal support and one of the openings in the ledger plate and adapted to retain the ledger plate on said pedestal support.

2. The guard finger and ledger plate assembly of claim 1 in which the pedestal support is generally triangular in form and the triangular shaped ledger plate overlies and extends beyond the edges of the pedestal support.

3. The guard finger and ledger plate assembly of claim 2 in which the surfaces of the pedestal shaped clamping means and the openings in the ledger plate which provide the cooperating action are tapered in a direction of the general outline in the triangular shaped pedestal support.

4. The guard finger and ledger plate assembly of claim 3 in which a first of said pair of openings in the ledger plate cooperates with a first pedestal clamping means and extends from an edge of the ledger plate toward the apex of the triangular shaped plate and a second of said pair of openings is located near the apex of the triangular shape of the ledger plate.

5. The guard finger and ledger plate assembly of claim 4 in which inwardly spaced walls which define the second of said pair of openings in the ledger plate have a rear rectangular configuration and a front tapered configuration.

6. The guard finger and ledger plate assembly of claim 5 in which the extremity of the ledger plate remote from body part.

7. The guard finger and ledger plate assembly of claim 6 in which the aperture means in the pedestal support and pin means extending therethrough are aligned with the rear rectangular configuration of the second opening in the ledger plate with the pin means engaging a surface of said rear rectangular portion of said second opening to prevent removal of the ledger plate from the pedestal support and in which the pin means is compressible and held in position in the pedestal support by friction.

8. The guard finger and ledger plate assembly of claim 7 in which the ledger plate has side surfaces on the triangular shape extending from the apex portion which are beveled from the exposed surface of the ledger plate inwardly toward the pedestal support at an angle of approximately 45 9. The guard finger and ledger plate assembly of claim 8 in which the beveled side surfaces of the ledger plate are serrated.

10. The guard finger and ledger plate assembly comprising, a guard finger having a connecting body part and a pedestal support integral therewith and extending transversely thereto adapted to mount a ledger plate, first and second pedestal clamping means positioned on pedestal support and projecting therefrom, each of said pedestal clamping means having wedge shaped sides, a ledger plate mounted on the pedestal support, said ledger plate having openings therein with tapered sides which conform to the wedge shaped sides of the pedestal clamping means to give a downward clamping action by the pedestal clamping means on the ledger plate, aperture means in the pedestal support positioned between the pedestal clamping means, and pin means positioned through the aperture means in said pedestal support and one of the openings in the ledger plate and adapted to retain the ledger plate on said pedestal support.

11. A guard finger and ledger plate assembly comprising, a guard finger having a connecting body and a 5 pedestal support integral therewith and extending transversely thereto adapted to mount a ledger plate, first and second pedestal clamping means positioned on pedestal support and projecting therefrom, each of said pedestal clamping means having wedge shaped sides, a ledger plate mounted on the pedestal support, said ledger plate having openings therein with tapered sides which conform to the wedge shaped sides of the pedestal clamping means to give a downward clamping action by the pedestal clamping means on the ledger plate, said pedestal clamping means and said openings in the ledger plate being further tapered in the direction of the general extent of the pedestal support, and means include in the pedestal support and cooperating with the ledger plate to retain the ledger plate thereon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL R. KINSEY, Examiner. 

1. A GUARD FINGER HAVING A CONNECTING BODY PART AND A A GUARD FINGER HAVING A CONNECTING BODY PART AND A PEDESTAL SUPPORT INTEGRAL THEREWITH AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THERETO WITH A FLAT SURFACE THEREON ADAPTED TO MOUNT A LEDGER PLATE, FIRST AND SECOND PEDESTAL CLAMPING MEANS POSITIONED ON THE FLAT SURFACE OF THE PEDESTAL SUPPORT AND PROJECTING THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID PEDESTAL CLAMPING MEANS BEING TAPERED TO PROVIDE WEDGE SHAPED SIDES WHICH PROVIDE DOWNWARD CLAMPING ACTION ON THE LEDGER PLATE WHEN MOUNTED THEREON, A TRIANGULAR SHAPED LEDGER PLATE MOUNTED ON THE FLAT SURFACE OF THE PEDESTAL 